Vertical labyrinth bearing



VERTICAL LABYRINTH -BEARING Filed Aug..12, 1937 than vl Inventor: I,

t Kenneth A Km m t log4 K/ ",Ju v

r-ne, Attmmaa Patented Nov. 1, 1938 I VERTICAL LABYRINTH BEARING Kenneth A. Killam, Fort Wayne, Ind., assignor i to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application August 12, 1937, Serial No. 158,691

1 Claim.

My invention relates to bearings, and more particularly to vertical labyrinth bearings.

One object of my invention is to provide an improved vertical self-lubricating labyrinth bearing.

For a better understanding of my invention, together with further objects and advantages thereof reference is had to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing,v and its scope will be pointed out in the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 illustrates a cross-sectional front elevation of a vertical guide bearing built in accordance with my invention; and Fig. 2' is a vertical cross-sectional view of a thrust bearing built in accordance with my invention.

Referring to the drawing in detail, Fig. 1 discloses a bearing for a shaft 5 comprising a bearing housing 6 and a bearing sleeve 1 mounted therein. The bearing housing is closed at its lower end by a conical cap 8 provided with an outer flange 9, frictionally engaging the inner surface of the bearing housing 6, and is provided at its inner edge with an upwardly projecting flange IU comprising a stand-pipe which due to the conical shape `of the cap forms an oil reservoir of the cap 8. An oil thrower II frictionally engaging the shaft 5 is arranged between the shaft and the stand-pipe I0, overlapping the lower end of the bearing sleeve 1 and projecting above the end of the stand-pipe III. The oil thrower II is a cylindrically shaped member which ts tightly against the shaft 5 fora portion of its length and is spaced from the shaft for the rest of its length, thereby forming an annular space I2 between itself and the shaft. The bearing sleeve 1 projects into this annular space and any oil owing down past the end of vthe sleeve is stored in this space until it is thrown outwardly by centrifugal force during the operation of the motor. An oil groove I3 is provided on the outer surface and near the upper edge of the oil thrower for the purpose of preventing any oil from creeping down the outer side thereof.

The space within the bearing housing 6, bounded at one end by a wall Il, projecting horizontally from the bearing housing, and at `the other end by the cap 8 is filled by oil soaked wool, or some similar fibrous material I5 which absorbs and holds in suspension nearly all of the oil in the housing. The oil in the wool isA held in suspension by capillary action, but sufficient oil is provided so that some free oil col- (Cl. 30S-36.4)

lectsin the cap 8. The oil which collects in the oil thrower II is thrown across the space betweenk itself and the flange I upon the surface of a deiiector I6. The deilector I6, shaped like a truncated cone is provided at its upper end with a collar I1, by means of which it is attached to the housing sleeve I8. The angle of the deector surface is such that it clears the upper ends of the oil thrower and ange I0 and holds the wool away from the oil thrower II. The oil thrown oil the edge of the oil thrower II passes across the spacebetweenthe thrower II and the flange I0 and impinges upon the inner surface of the deilector from which it ows into the reservoir in cap 8. The deector I6, therefore, performs the double function of spacing the oil soaked wool from the oil thrower and guiding the oil thrown from the thrower back to the reservoir. A spring 20 held in the housing by a cap 2l forces the wool against the shaft surface through an opening in the sleeve 1.

In operation, the oll in the wool l is distributed over the shaft surface 5, some of lit owing downwardly into the oil thrower I2, from which it is thrown out by centrifugal action against the surface of the deflector I6, and from there, returns to the wool I5. AASin'iilar flow takes place'by capillary action upwardly to the end of the bearing sleeve 1. Above the end of the sleeve 1 a washer 22 is pressed onto the shaft 5. This washer may be leatheror cork, but is preferably an oil resistant rubber compound. It is located on the shaft above the end of the bearing sleeve 1 and below the end of the bearing housing. The end of the bearing housing is closed by a metal cap 22a which is pressed into the end ofthe housing 6. The washer rotates with the shaft and the oil which may tend to creep along the shaft 5 is thrown off the washer and returns to the wool I 5 through a hole 23 `in the wall I4. The washer 22 may be omitted in some applications in which case, the oil exudes from the top end of the bearing and returns through a hole 23 in the wall I4. This operation is continuous throughout the rotation of the shaft 5, and provides a continuous lubrication of the vertical bearing. In view of the arrangement of the oil thrower and stand-pipe, no oil reaches the outer surface of the shaft 5 below the bearing.,

In Fig. 2, the lower end of the shaft 5 is disclosed as being supported byfa. thrust bearing. The shaft 5 is provided with a thrust collar 25 having a horizontal surface butting against the thrust flange 26 of a bearing sleeve 21. In the bearing housing 2l, wool 2l is held by a cap 8, and an oil thrower 30, which is a slight modification of the oil thrower Il, throws oil against the surface ofthe deiiector Il. Oil from the wool reaches the bearing surface between the collar 25 andthe ange 2l through an oil hole 3|, which is provided with an oil wick;

however, the greater supply of oil is up through the bearing bore; Any oil thrown out from this surface is thrown into an oll receiving reservoir 32. and flows to the wool 29 through a hole 33. The bearing sleeve 21 may begmade of a porous material, in which case, the wick may be omitted. The wool 2l is pressed against a shaft through a hole in the sleeve 2l by a spring. The circulation of the oil in thisbearing during operation is practically the same as already explained for Fig. 1. k

The oil thrower 30 diii'ers from the oil thrower Il in that it is supported only by a web 34 which is tightly fitted to the shaft outside of the -journal surface, and there is no shoulder on the shaft to reinforce it. In order to guard against any oil escaping past the web u, therefore, a resilient washer ll of leather, cork, or rubber compound is provided in a circular cavity at the lower end of the thrower and is held in place by a washer It, which is riveted to the lower edge of the thrower, thus making an assembly which is slipped on to the shaft after the shaft has been passed through the bearing sleeve.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

In a self-lubricating vertical shaft bearing the combination of a bearing housing, a bearing sleeve mounted therein, an oil throwing cup overlapping the end of said sleeve, a packing in said housing between said oil thrower and the wall of said housing, a reservoir at the lower end of said housing provided with a reentrant sleeve spaced from and concentric with said oil thrower, and a conical deiiector attached to the bearing housing and extending across the space between said oil thrower and reentrant sleeve into said oil reservoir whereby said defiector separates said packing from said oil thrower and simultaneously reconducts oil thrown off by said oil thrower to the said reservoir.

KENNETHA.ELLAM. 

